Mushroom Stroganoff (Made Easy)
Serves 4
Beef Stroganoff is a Russian dish from the 19th century that is combines sautéed pieces of beef served in a rich sauce made from smetana or sour cream. At culinary school back in the 1980s, I remember making this dish as part of my final exams. Funny how, I look back on the “good old days” and laugh. At the time, I wasn’t laughing. I was stressed trying to get all of my mise en place sorted out, my station set up, and the oven turned on. You’d be amazed at how many student chefs forget to turn on the oven at exam time until it’s too late. Most importantly, I had to make sure to hit my window on time for the chef instructor and judge to critique my work.
Being a chef certainly sets you up for life because I’ve found that the most important things in life revolve around being prepared. For this recipe, your preparation will set you up for success with this easy-to-make mushroom stroganoff. You can think of this as a meatless Monday dish. It’s meaty without having meat, and creamy without adding a gallon of heavy cream. Yet, this dish still tastes incredible. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
5 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cups brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 cups wild mushroom, cleaned and roughly chopped (I like using a mix of cremini, shiitake and, for extra bite, Portobello mushrooms.)
1 teaspoon English mustard (or Dijon mustard)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup crème fraiche
1 lemon, cut into six wedges
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make:
Place the rice into a large saucepan and pour over 4 cups of stock. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. The rice should be tender and the stock has been absorbed.
Place a large frying pan over a medium heat on the stove, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, sauté the onions for 3 to 4 minutes or until soft.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute before adding the chopped mushrooms. Continue to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown. Stir in the mustard, paprika, and thyme. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of stock. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked, remove the mushrooms from the heat, and stir in the crème fraiche along with the juice of two lemon wedges. Mix it all together. Taste and season, as needed. Serve the stroganoff with the rice and the remaining wedges of lemon on the side.